FIRE DEPARTMENT: REORGANIZE SUPPRESSION COMPANIES

Problem Identification:There are more fire companies than necessary to meet the fire protection demands of the City of Baltimore. Reductions in the number of stations could be made while maintaining conformance with nationally recognized criteria.

Recommended Action:Eliminate up to eight fire companies and consolidate fire stations, reducing the current stations by up to seven.
Classification:Cost Savings

Next Step:Disband the following companies: Engine 3, Engine 19, Engine 24, Engine 52, Engine 128, Truck 9, Truck 13, and Truck 15. Transfer all existing personnel within these companies into vacancies at other stations throughout the Department, thus reducing callbacks.

Analysis:The project team conducted an analysis of the “response patterns” of all engine and truck companies currently in service within the city using nationally recognized criteria. ‘Distribution’ of companies (making sure all areas of the city are protected) and ‘concentration’ of companies (making sure multiple companies could be quickly gathered together) were both studied.

A total of eight companies (five engines and three trucks) were identified as being redundant. The overriding criterion was response time. The analysis involved mapping the coverage area for each of the BCFD’s 61 first-line fire engine and truck companies. A 1.5-mile coverage area, measured along the existing roadways and in a diamond configuration was the initial benchmark (1). That mapping revealed significant overlap and redundancy among both engine and truck companies. Each area of redundancy was assessed further, analyzing:

Current fire suppression activity levels were not a predominant factor. None of the companies recommended for elimination, nor any of the adjacent companies which would pick up the additional load, is even close to its full capacity. The busiest company is at or below 10 percent capacity (2.4 hours in service per 24-hour day). Most of the companies in question are responding more than two-thirds of the time to medical emergencies. They will, therefore, have even greater capacity available, should the accompanying recommendation for increased EMS investment is adopted.

The elimination of the companies recommended will not overburden the remaining companies. The projected in service time for the remaining companies will still be over 10 hours less than the current in service time for the average medic unit.

The following lists each company proposed for elimination, the adjacent companies which can service the area, the distance of these companies from the company to be closed, and the proposed additional in-service time for each, as well as other relevant factors:

Other factors:
– Proximity of Armco Steel
The BCFD has an established computer software program that identifies the positive and/or negative impact when companies are added or removed from service. The BCFD’s goal is to have an engine company at the emergency scene within five minutes of receiving the call, a truck company on location within six minutes, and the entire first alarm assignment (four engines and two trucks) within ten minutes. The average time for the BCFD dispatcher to handle the dispatch of apparatus is 58 seconds, which is included in the response time criteria.

The tables below show the percentages of successful coverage citywide in meeting the established goals at present compared with the eight identified companies removed:

Current

Eight Companies Removed

First-Due Engine

76%

First-Due Engine

71%

First-Due Truck

70%

First-Due Truck

68%

First Alarm Assignment

86%

First Alarm Assignment

84%

The computer also analyzed the impact the removal of these companies would make compared to actual 1997 fire incidents (which is the most recent data) in the system and compared it to all companies currently in service. Shown below are the results.

Current

Eight Companies Removed

First-Due Engine

72%

First-Due Engine

68%

First-Due Truck

79%

First-Due Truck

77%

First Alarm Assignment

77%

First Alarm Assignment

75%

Both analyses reflect only a minor negative impact upon the level of fire protection provided. Average first response times should remain well below five minutes, the current and widely accepted standard of the BCFD.

Based upon these results, the project team concluded that more lives could be saved by converting the identified companies into medic units and reallocating personnel to fill currently vacated positions, thereby reducing overtime.(1) The 1.5 mile coverage area is consistent with standards promulgated by the fire insurance industry and the Urban Guide for Fire Prevention and Control. Those standards would permit a 2.5 mile coverage area for truck companies but the more conservative 1.5 mile coverage was applied to both engine and truck companies.